The deal – $600,000 in cash and $150,000 in kind – will help the association send the national team to more overseas training stints and Pro Tour competitions to chalk up ranking points ahead of next year’s Olympics.

STTA President Lee Bee Wah said it will also go a long way in grooming the national B team, which is made up of up-and-coming paddlers such as Youth Olympic Games silver medallist Isabelle Li.

She said: ‘We have seen the results over the last two years when preparing for the Youth Olympic Games. We’d like to do the same things for them, so that one day they will be world-class players.’

The sponsorship comes off the back of several other deals the association has secured in the past few months, including a $300,000 (over three years) deal with Mitsubishi Electric Asia earlier this month. STTA has amassed about $2.15 million over the past year.